Indian
Express: Chandigarh: Wednesday, October 10, 2012.
The Haryana
government has notified a policy providing security to whistleblowers and RTI
activists facing threat for exposing corruption. An official spokesman on
Tuesday said that one of the impediments to eliminating corruption in the
government and public sector undertakings was lack of power or willful misuse
of discretion, which caused demonstrable loss to the government.
The
notification defines a whistleblower as a person who complains against or
exposes corruption in any government office, undertaking or company about an
attempt to commit or commission of an offence under Prevention of Corruption
Act, 1988. Similarly, a person under threat for seeking information through the
RTI Act regarding corrupt practices and criminal offences will also be provided
security.
Whistleblowers
and RTI activists seeking security will have to submit an application to the
district level committee through the concerned police commissioner or
superintendent of police.
The committee
will then make an assessment, following which, if needed, security cover will
be provided to the applicants and the quantum and type of security will be
decided by the concerned SP. The entire process will not take a time more than
one week.
The security
may be increased, decreased or withdrawn depending on the threat perception
review by the concerned authority to be carried out at regular intervals. Any
misuse of security provided will be viewed seriously and remedial action taken,
including recovery of cost and other legal action. The policy, which was first
modified by the state home department on September 6, 2011, was amended on
September 19, this year.
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